


Another Knight

by Kris675



Series: Revali Love [3]
Category: Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity (Video Game), The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Warriors
Genre: Action & Romance, Action/Adventure, Canon-Typical Violence, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Eventual Romance, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Romance, Slow Burn, Slow To Update
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-18
Updated: 2020-12-25
Packaged: 2021-03-10 19:28:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,235
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28142388
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kris675/pseuds/Kris675
Summary: Age of CalamityRevali/OC love story.Rated PG-13 for violence and cursing.
Relationships: Revali (Legend of Zelda)/Original Character(s), Revali (Legend of Zelda)/Reader, Revali (Legend of Zelda)/You
Series: Revali Love [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1872040
Comments: 20
Kudos: 58





	1. Chapter 1

Distant sounds of explosions filled your ears, there were screams and fire in the distance. You couldn't see a thing as smoke filled your vision, choking you, and making it nearly impossible to breathe. You held your sword tightly in your hands, trying desperately to find the source of all this chaos. Wandering around the dust began to settle, and your blood went cold. You were face to face with a guardian that towered over you menacingly.

You tried to scream, but no sound escaped your throat. You tried to run, but you couldn't move. You stood there shaking, sweating, freezing cold. In a desperate attempt to regain yourself, you lifted your sword above your head, ready to strike. But, too fast for you to even see, the guardian raised its limb and crashed it down on top of you.

The next thing you knew, you were flying in the air. The wind rushed around your ears so loud it was the only thing you could hear aside from the pounding of your own heart. You were so cold. The weightlessness you felt made you panic. What was going on? Where were you? Where was-

You woke with a scream. Cold sweat coated your face as you looked around, realizing you weren't falling. No, you were lying in your tent, safe and sound.

"You alright in there?" The voice of one of the other guards called from just outside your tent. You saw his silhouetted shadow against the tarp and you let out a long, shaky breath.

"I'm fine," You called back to him. "Just... Had a nightmare."

"Alright. It's almost time to head out, anyway. Get ready."

You rubbed your eyes and ran your fingers through your hair. It had been a long time since things started getting dire, and it had been taking its toll on you. Months ago, attacks on the kingdom had been getting more and more frequent, and all of the sudden, these odd structures started appearing all over Hyrule. You had heard it happened the same time as the appearance of an odd Guardian, something small and round, it looked almost cute. Though cute as it might be, it warned of great danger.

Danger that was going to befall the kingdom in a very short amount of time. Calamity Ganon was becoming more dangerous by the hour, and the kingdom was desperate for a way to stop it.

After getting into your armor, you stepped out of your tent, looking out at the other soldiers that surrounded you. You and the others had been traveling for days, on your way to recruit pilots for the divine beasts that had been unearthed years ago. You were one of the chosen knights to accompany the princess, along with Purah, and your childhood friend, Link.

Years ago, you thought you and Link would follow different paths, where he would become a talented knight and you would travel the world. But, due to the dangers befalling the kingdom, the King needed every able body he could get. So, here you were, fighting alongside your fellow Hylians for the good of all of Hyrule. This wasn't what you had planned, and this wasn't how you wanted to die, but you didn't seem to have much of a choice.

"Where are we headed first, Captain?" You asked as you approached him.

"We're on our way to Rito Village." He said without even looking up from his map. "Better pack some extra layers, I hear there's cold up on the mountains this time of year."

You grit your teeth and nodded, turning off to go ready yourself for the trip.

~~~

The Captain was right, it  _ was  _ cold. Not only that, but there was a blizzard on the horizon, making it hard to see.

Link lead the venture, requesting that the princess stay behind while he lead a few of his men to scout ahead. You were one of the few he chose, trusting you with his life if anything were to happen. The small guardian followed him closely behind, and you were honestly more worried about  _ that _ than whatever you were to find on the mountain.

"So, we're looking for the Rito called Revali?" You had to shout at Link over the sound of the roaring wind so he could hear you. "You think he's going to want to cooperate?"

A loud whistling sound pierced your ear as an arrow flew right past your head, sticking itself in the earth by your feet. Link and the others looked to see where the arrow had come from, and silhouetted in the distance was none other than a Rito, firing at you through the storm.

"What?" You all draw your swords, and Link took a defensive stance at the head of the party. "Do they... Think we're enemies?" Another arrow came for you, but you blocked it this time with your shield. Without so much as a signal, Link charged forward at them. Guess you had no other choice was to fight your way through their defenses to get to this champion you sought.

You and the other guards raced forward, trying to stick together, but as you approached, the onslaught of Rito guard separated you all. You sprinted out of their line of fire, taking cover behind a large rock formation as arrows sped past. Your breathing was heavy and your heart pounded. This is what you were training for, wasn't it? Though something about this felt just so  _ wrong _ .

You heard their wings approaching and you knew you couldn't hide forever. You had to go out there and help your fellow soldiers. You waited, sword in hand with a white knuckle grip.

The moment you heard the Rito get close enough, you dove out from your hiding spot, driving your shield into the chest of one of them. It was enough to catch them off guard, several of them having to fly backward at your explosive entrance. You had fallen on top of the Rito, sending him back into the ground. You pushed yourself up then slashed your sword at another, catching them with the flat end of your sword and knocking the wind out of them.

None of your attacks were fatal, but at least you could incapacitate them for long enough to get yourself to safety. The other archers around you aimed and fired, hitting your shield you brought up over your head. You threw your arm out, hitting another Rito in the chest and sending him flying back into the other archers. The chaos gave you time to escape, running farther up the mountain to where you saw Link had sped off to. The two of you always made a good team together, if only you could get to him...

An explosion nearby raddled your eardrums and you looked over just in time to see Link fly back from the smoke and fall into the snow. You ran to him, throwing yourself to the ground at his side as he tried to regain his composure. You threw up your shield, blocking arrows from the two of you as Link got up, shaking the snow off his hair.

"You alright?" You ask.

Link let out a huff and nodded to you. Farther down the path, a group of Rito landed, bows in hand. Another landed among them, a tall man with dark red feathers. He held a sword in his hands and a headdress that made him stand out from the others. He looked to be a captain and led the others towards you.

"We got this, right?" You glanced over at your childhood friend, seeing that steely look of determination in his eyes.

Almost as if on cue, you and Link ran forward into the group of Rito, taking the fight directly to them and catching them by surprise. Close combat was a specialty for the two of you, especially when you worked together. Link had gone after the Rito Captain while you attempted to clear out the other soldiers that were beginning to surround you.

Link dodged the attacks from the Captain, sidestepping past the swing of his sword, and started attacking him from behind. Meanwhile. you ran towards a group of Rito, dropping down onto one knee and sliding towards them. You made a grand, sweeping motion with your sword, knocking them off their feet. Link had managed to get the Rito Captain in the back, sending him hurtling forward into you. You raised your shield, his beak colliding with the metal and wood. The impact hit you so hard it rattled your bones, and the Captain was out cold.

Link ran forward and grabbed your arm, dragging you down the path towards the Rito Village. At the end of the road it was blocked, the bridge knocked out by some of the guards to keep their village safe. You didn't have time to process a solution before you were pulled into a different direction. Up ahead there was a crack in the rock on the path. A violent wind shot up from it, and Link ran straight for it.

Link jumped, pulling out his paraglider and letting the wind carry him upwards to the path above. You followed suit, pulling the scarf from your neck and holding it tight in both your hands. You let the wind fill your scarf, bringing you up into the air just behind your friend.

"There they are!" A voice behind you made you turn around, and there you saw two Rito behind you. All you saw was a flash of color, of blue and red blurred out by the snow. Suddenly, a bomb went off in the air nearby, knocking both you and Link out of the sky. Link fell hard onto the ground but quickly got to his feet, taking off again down the path. You, on the other hand, weren't so lucky. You tumbled down the mountain, desperately trying to regain your footing on the icy rocks and snow.

You finally slowed to a stop at the bottom of a valley, your body frozen and aching as you slowly pull yourself up off the ground. Suddenly, another Rito landed only yards away, watching you like the hawk he was. He was dressed the same as the other Rito Captain, though smaller in stature. You stood on shaky legs opposite of him, holding on tightly to your shield alone as your sword had fallen halfway between you and the Rito.

The Rito Captain began to ready an arrow, and you then lowered your shield. "Stop!" You called out to him, noticing his brow flinch at your sudden stance. "We're not your enemy!"

"You sure look like the enemy from where I'm standing," The Rito said to you, his arrow still pointed at your head.

"Please, we are here on behalf of Princess Zelda! We came because we need your help."

"My duty is to keep my people safe!" He spoke harshly now, his eyes narrowing at you. "Monsters have been attacking us non-stop as of late, how do we know that you're not the cause of this?"

You clenched your teeth. There was no getting through to him, it seemed. You had to do something, or else you'd be dead where you stood. In the distance, the fighting continued. You could hear the sounds of steel clashing and bomb arrows going off. You worried about Link and the other soldiers that you had been separated from. Your heart raced as you weighed your options, and you glanced back down to your sword.

The Rito saw where your eyes had traveled to and he growled. You were able to raise your shield just in time to block the arrow and roll forward. He lunged at you at the same time and just as he was about to grab you, you got a hold of your sword and slashed at him. The feathered headdress he wore frayed apart, the plumage flying away in the wind. He stood there and looked at you wide-eyed, realizing just how close you had come to taking his head off. You were stunned too, realizing you had almost killed him without even intending it. You had known deep down you might have to take his life, but now that it was coming to it, you were more than hesitant.

You bent your knees, lowering your center of gravity as you intended to charge and bring the fight to him. Then, he did something to surprise you. The Rito Captain put away his bow, pulling out a spear he had attached to his back. He jumped forward, thrusting the blade at you. You had just barely dodged, taking another swing at him as now this fight had become life-or-death.

He spun around, crashing the spear down hard onto your shield, knocking you back with the power of his blow. You jumped back, distancing yourself from him. With the added space between you, the Rito took the opportunity to draw his brow and fire a series of arrows your way. Thinking quick, you ran around him trying to circle around to his back and take him from behind. You succeeded, jumping forward and slamming your shield into his back, sending him tumbling off into the snow.

Searing pain shot through your leg, making you see white. When you looked down, you saw that your one leg was encased in ice, keeping you from moving. It was so cold it felt like it was burning your skin through your armor, and you panicked, unsure as to what to do. From nowhere, the Rito came flying at you, hitting you so hard with his body that he broke through the ice holding you in place, and sent both of you tumbling back.

You couldn't think, couldn't move as you felt as if your leg had broken badly. Sound had become muffled, but you heard shuffling in the snow. You had to get up, your life depended on it. You struggled to your feet, letting adrenaline copilot your body. The Rito looked at you, ready to pounce, and you desperately held your shield up.

As he was about to pounce, he was suddenly and violently struck, sending his body flying off into the wind.

Before you now stood a Moblin, a powerful magical field surrounding it, ice magic radiating off of it and freezing you to your bones. It swung its bat down at you, and you jumped back, narrowly avoiding it. With a raise of its hand, the moblin shot ice at you, freezing the trees behind you as it missed your head. This was the creature that must have frozen your leg before.

With every ounce of strength you had, you ran, running away from the icy monster. Though you didn't get far as the Rito had returned and swung his spear at you, knocking into your shield hard. You tried to stop him, but there was no use. He was after you no matter what. He thrust his spear at you, which you knocked away with your sword. You slipped in close to him, bashing his chest with your shield.

As the two of you continued fighting, the Moblin finally caught up with you. Again it attacked, swinging its bat down. The two of you jumped away, the moblin's bat hitting the ground between you. As you readied yourself for more of its attacks, you realized that the monster had turned its attention towards the Rito man, trying to once again knock him out of the sky.

Your breathing stopped. This could be your chance. You had to run...

The Rito, wielding his spear, tried to stab at the ice moblin, but to no use. The creature was far too big, and it hit hard. He tried to flee, but the batt clipped his side, knocking him to the ground. The moblin stood over the warrior, ready to strike.

Just as he brought his wings up to shield his face, the sound of wood hitting metal echoed through the air. He opened his eyes to see you standing over him, taking the brunt of the moblin's blow to your shield. With a yell, you pushed forward, knocking the moblin back, tripping it up. You lunged forward on your uninjured leg, slashing at the creature. Thick strands of blood shot out, staining the snow.

The Rito opened his wings, letting the wind pick him up into the air. You looked up to see him fly high above you, gritting your teeth as it seemed he was abandoning you. But, to your surprise, he started shooting at the Moblin. You protected yourself with your shield, but none of the arrows hit you. You weren't who he was aiming for anymore.

The Rito circled the field, kicking up a whirlwind of snow around you as he flew. He kept shooting the moblin, not giving it a chance to regain its composure. As soon as you saw your opening, you ran forward, jumping up and launching your sword into its chest. The moblin's scream echoed through the valley, and you pulled your sword up, doing fatal damage to it. You kicked yourself off of its chest, flipping backward and landing hard onto your bad leg.

The monster fell dead, and you fell to your knee as the pain shot through your body once more. The Rito landed across the field and watched you, narrow eyes surveying you carefully.

Up the mountain, you heard explosions. Panic filled your chest as you began to worry about what had happened to Link. You couldn't stop now, you had to keep going. Mustering whatever strength you had left, you pulled yourself back onto your trembling legs and clambered up the sheer side of the mountain. Your body was nearly frozen over and it helped numb the pain, but you knew you'd be paying for it later. You had to get back to Link. You had to make sure he was alright.

Without warning, you suddenly felt yourself lift off of your feet and into the air. A screech escaped your throat, and you looked up to see the Rito you had been fighting had grabbed the back of your shirt in his talons, pulling you up the mountain with him. He flapped his wings hard, struggling with your weight, but eventually got you far enough up the hill that he was sure you could make the rest of the way on your own.

He dropped you onto the hill, letting you fall face-first into the snow. You sputtered and looked up, seeing him hovering above you in the air, and then flew off without a word.

Alright, so that happened. You had no time to dwell on it, though, as you heard more explosions in the distance. You ran again, sprinting on your broken leg that you could barely feel at this point. Link had clearly made his way through here, as you saw other Rito warriors lying about, knocked out by Link's strength.

Before long, you found yourself nearing a clearing at the base of Rito Village. There he was, locked in battle with a Rito that moved so fast your eyes could barely keep up with him. Link was holding his own, but for how long? You were worried. You ran for him, needing to be there to help him when you were suddenly knocked off your feet again.

The Rito Captain you were fighting before had flown into you, and then pinned you to the ground under his wings. "Will you ever quit?!"

You struggled desperately against him, trying to pry your way free of him. More bombs went off, and your eyes went wide. You couldn't see Link anymore. Where was he? Out of the smoke, the warrior came flying at Link, aiming right for his head. Your heart stopped, blood cold. Oh no, no-

"Stop! Please!"

A voice rang out on the battlefield, halting everyone in their tracks.

Link stopped mid-swing, and the Rito warrior simply fell to the ground, letting his arrow fall a distance away. By now, you were able to shake the Rito Captain off of you and stand, seeing Zelda panting heavily as she stared at Link and the warrior.

~~~

After the chaos had ceased, you had learned what was really going on. Rito Village had been repeatedly attacked by monsters led by an unusual guardian. Revali and his countrymen had barely repelled the monsters but were wary of future attacks. When Link and his party had shown up, they'd assumed you to be the enemy, and defended their home without a second thought.

Princess Zelda requested a meeting with Revali, and you and the other guards sought treatment for your wounds. You had taken far more damage than you had thought, and your leg was so swollen at this point you had to remove your armor. There was no way you'd be walking back to Hyrule like this, let alone going on any future missions to help Link. All you could do was curse at yourself for not being more careful.

"You put up a good fight out there," A voice ripped you from your thoughts. You looked up from where you sat and saw the Rito Captain from before. He too had been bandaged up but didn't look to be in as nearly of a bad shape as you were. You tried to stand slowly, wincing as you attempted not to put pressure on your bad leg. The Rito held out his large winged hand to you, and you hesitated before taking it.

"My name's Quill," He said, pulling you to your feet.

"River," You returned.

Just as you were exchanging pleasantries, Zelda had returned. She was followed closely by Link and Impa, with Revali following closely behind. Your eyes were fixated on the Rito.

"So that's him, huh?" You asked Quill, still watching Revali.

"Yeah, that's him. The greatest warrior among us." Quill crossed his arms, watching Revali as well. "Just don't let him hear you say that out loud."

Just as Zelda and her party were passing by, Revali glanced over in your direction. His eyes met yours and your breathing stopped. His piercing gaze looked at you, through you, hitting you to your core. He seemed to have a presence to him that made people stop in their tracks. You noticed it right away, and you found yourself almost admiring him.

He turned away, leaving with Zelda and the rest of her party. You realized that you started breathing again. Curious.

By nightfall, you had reunited with Link, as he wanted to make sure you were alright from the battle. You'd be leaving back to the castle, but not alone. You were now accompanied by Revali and a handful of his most talented warriors. Revali was now on your side. The Champion of the Rito, pilot of the Divine Beast Vah Medoh.

You had a long road ahead of you.


	2. Is This Flirting? This Is Definitely Flirting, Right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Less action in this one, more plot-driven. Let me know what you think!  
> Twitter: @KrisPS675  
> Tumblr: River675

Not all the healing potions in all of Hyrule could fix the break in your leg, but they definitely helped. By the time you had returned to the castle and got the proper medical attention, the magic of the healers helped get you walking again, though you were in no condition to fight. When Zelda and her guard were ready to leave again, Link had to be the one to break the bad news to you that you wouldn't be going this time.

"So, you're leaving me behind?" Your voice almost faltered when you spoke. Link didn't say anything to you. Of course he didn't. These days you rarely ever heard his voice, though you understood better than anyone else why he was so quiet all the time. Despite your understanding, your emotions were still high. You were here for a reason, after all. You wanted to help Link and all of Hyrule any way you could. And now, you couldn't.

Link opened his mouth to attempt to explain his reasoning, but you turned away from him. You didn't want to hear it. He'd be off in the morning to Death Mountain, seeing out the Goron Daruk. It would be dangerous up there, the roads most likely crawling with monsters. You wanted to be there beside Link to help him fight, but you had been ordered to stay behind. To _rest_.

With a huff, you left. You couldn't stand feeling so useless.

~~~

"Agh!!" With a thundering crash, you brought your sword down onto the shield of your opponent, sending them flailing backward and falling onto their ass. You took a step forward, ready to attack again, but they raised their arms.

"I yield!" They said, and you dropped your sword. Limping over to the side of the sparring arena, you took your helmet off, dropping it into the dirt and grabbing a cup that had been filled with water for you. You drank, letting the cold water spill out and drip down your neck into your armor. It was hot out, and you coveted the drink.

"River, a word." You looked up to see a man in full armor approach, his own helmet tucked underneath his arm.

"Captain," You stood up straight and saluted him, but he waved you off.

"I was just watching you out there. Going a bit hard, aren't we? I know you're still recovering from your last mission."

"I can't let something like a few broken bones get in my way, now, can I?"

River..." He gave you a hard look, though his eyes did give way to a softness underneath. "I promised Leaf I'd bring you home in one piece."

You huffed. "Well, she's my sister. She, of all people, knows I can take care of myself. Besides, you married her, not me. So I don't need you breathing down my neck all the time."

"True, but I'm still your captain." His voice turned harsh and you instantly shut up. He took a moment to take in a deep breath before sighing. "Why don't you head with the others to go practice your archery? That'll give you something to do and it'll be easier on your leg."

"You know I'm shit at archery,"

"True, but the Rito that came back with us are giving our men some lessons. Perhaps if you go learn from them, they'd be able to teach you a thing or two?"

You grit your teeth, thinking back to the Rito you fought so viciously with that it left you limping. You were about to refuse, but another other from your Captain got you moving, and off to the fields you went.

~~~

"Alright, line up!"

You stood at the end of the line of other soldiers, standing in blistering heat in the middle of Hyrule field. The sun beat down, baking you inside your armor, though you couldn't let it show. Across from you all were archery targets and scarecrows, readied for practice. You yourself had been here several times in the past trying to teach yourself better aim, though you always fell short of the others. After a point, you reserved yourself to only be good for close combat, though your superiors didn't like that. A well-rounded soldier was far more useful than someone who only knew one fighting skill. No matter what, you _had_ to better yourself, for the good of Hyrule. And for your sister.

"So this will be the first group of soldiers I'll be training, aye?" Out from the barracks nearby walked the Rito that would be training you all. Of course, the one who approached was none other than the Rito Champion himself, Revali. He had his hands (wings?) behind his back as he surveyed the soldiers he'd be training. His gaze stopped at you at the end of the line. You saw him linger, narrowing his eyes at you.

"Alright, then!" Revali made a grand, sweeping motion with his wings, turning away from you to address the others. "Ready your bows, I want to see how far back we'll be starting."

Everyone but you grabbed at the bows at their feet almost immediately. You hesitated, a bead of sweat dripping down the side of your face as anxiety began creeping in. Every time you tried to do this in the past, you made a complete fool of yourself. And now, here was the Rito champion standing behind you, watching your every move.

"Well?" Revali's voice pulled you from your thoughts, and you saw the rather impatient look on his face. Taking in a sharp breath, you quickly grabbed at the bow and arrows, holding them rather unsteadily in your hands. You glanced at the other archers, seeing how they've knocked their arrows and had drawn, ready for the signal. You placed the arrow between your fingers, trying to hold it as steady as you could as you pulled the arrow back. The tip of the arrow started turning outward, so you nudged the bow a bit and pulled the tip of the arrow between your pointer and middle fingertips to keep it steady.

"Ready?" Revali called out, eyes once again surveying over the line of soldiers. "Fire!" Everyone let loose, their arrows flying across the field and piercing the targets. Some were closer to the center than others, while a few missed the targets by mere inches.

Yours, however, didn't even make it to the target. Your arrow got caught on your hands because of the way you were holding it and only soared about halfway across the field before falling into the dry grass below.

"Tsk, how pitiful," You jumped straight into the air when Revali spoke. He was now standing just inches away from you and you hadn't heard him approach. Trying to catch your breath, you could have sworn you saw that asshole smirk at you. "Looks as though we have a _lot_ of practice to do."

As the others trotted across the field to pull their arrows from the targets, you grumbled to yourself as you limped your short distance to pull your own from the grass. You kept your eyes forward on your way back to the lineup, ignoring the snickers you were getting from the others for your poor form.

"Again!" Revali called out, and once again everyone readied their bows. You focused this time, glancing back at the others to try to figure out what you were doing wrong. This time, instead of keeping the arrowhead between your fingers, you tilted your bow to let it rest against the shaft and keep it steady.

"Fire!" You watched as your arrow soared through the sky, a smile creeping onto your face when you realized you did it right this time. Though your smile soon faded when you realized it was flying in the wrong direction. Instead of going straight towards the target, it flew off at an angle, falling straight into the river that framed the field.

"Hah!" One of the other guards couldn't hold back their laughter, though they quickly covered their mouth the moment they realized they let it slip. Your face grew incredibly hot, though not from the blistering sunlight. You clenched your fist, waning nothing more than to show that other knight what you lacked in aim, you made up for in strength. When more snickering was heard amongst the others your blood boiled, and you felt the tension in your chest tighten to the point where you were about to snap.

"That's quite enough!" Revali spoke loud over all the others, quieting them immediately. "Really, now? As knights of the kingdom, you'd think you would take your training more seriously?" He waved his wing, throwing up his beak at you all. "Go, retrieve your arrows. We are going to keep practicing until you get this right."

Hot shame washed over you. The others placed their bows down to retrieve their arrows, but you just stood there staring at the ground. You let your hair cover your eyes, refusing to look up at them. You were sure your arrow had floated far down the river by now, so there was no point in going to collect it. Gritting your teeth, you turned to confront Revali to ask for more arrows, but when you turned, he was once again inches from your face.

"Where do you think you're going?" Revali raised his brow at you, staring down his beak into your eyes.

"I need-"

"What you _need_ is to go retrieve your arrow.

"But-"

"It'll be incredibly difficult for you to continue your practice without ammunition, correct?" He waved his wing at you, shooing you off towards the river. "Go on, get it back and we may continue your training."

Your jaw dropped. Was he being serious?

You were temporarily blinded by anger, and you almost snarled at him. You nearly punched him as you thrust your bow up and into his chest. The wooden bow clattered against his metal chest plate, and although he was taken by surprise from your sudden angry outburst, he did not falter.

"Go get it yourself!" You yelled so loud, you didn't even realize you had stood on your toes to get closer to his face. "I'm done here!" You pushed off his chest, letting him catch the bow before it fell to the ground. You turned too quickly, a sharp pain twisting through your leg as you did so, but you refused to let it show. The others stared at you after your outburst, watching you go, but nobody said a thing.

You went and scooped up your helmet from the grass and limped your way back to the barracks, ignoring the prying eyes that bored into your back. At this point, you didn't care if you'd be in trouble. You just had to get out of there. You were done making a fool of yourself.

~~~

The sun had only just begun to set over Hyrule. Back in town, the taverns were full of boisterous soldiers, winding down after a hard day of training. A cool wind had blown through Hyrule field, cutting the heat and making the air far more comfortable. Other than the sound of a small wind chime someone had hung in a nearby tree, the field was quiet.

You were alone when you approached the shooting range. There was a bow hung around your shoulder and a quiver tied to your side, filled to the brim with arrows. You lit some of the torches nearby to light up the area and then grabbed one of the targets that had been put away. You dragged it a good distance out into the field until you were satisfied with the distance.

You didn't bother with your armor when you came back out. You had a dark green tunic on, a loose belt around your waist to keep in place, dark leggings, and high leather boots up to your knees. Since the wind had started picking up, you tied your hair back and rolled up your sleeves to give your shoulders room to move. You shuffled through the grass to where you had stood earlier that day, and you turned to stare at the target, glare at it.

Your display earlier in the day was an absolute disaster, and you refused to let that happen again. Now that you were alone, you had all the time in the world to practice. After your outbursts, you had slipped your way into a library and grabbed some books about archery, studying the illustrations on how to properly hold a bow. You... 'Borrowed' the book and took it with you to the range, promising yourself you'd bring the book back after you were properly trained. Pulling it from the satchel on your side, you flipped through the pages to look at the illustrations once again. You studied once again how the archers in the book held the bow, where their fingers laid on the arrows, and how they held themselves.

You slipped the book back into your bag and shrugged the bow off your shoulder. Your movements were slow as you pulled the arrow from your too-full quiver, fumbling with it in your fingers to try and hold yourself the right way. It took you a moment, but you properly knocked the arrow and pulled it back on the string, staring at the dead center of the target in front of you.

You took in a slow breath, held it, and released it the moment you lose your arrow. To your surprise, the arrow soared straight, though a little too high, and went right over the target. Despite the miss, your stomach jumped when you realized you had at least improved somewhat. You pumped your fist into the air in quiet celebration and quickly grabbed for another arrow.

Though you improved somewhat, you still couldn't manage to actually _hit_ the target. You refused to give up, getting closer with every arrow fired. By now the sun had set so low along the horizon, the entire field was colored with a shadowy orange light. Still, you continued, until one of your arrows stuck in the corner of the target. You nowhere close to the center, but when you saw your arrow had hit, you gasped.

Moments later, another arrow whistled past your ear and sunk itself in the dead center of the target.

You whipped yourself around to find out where it had come from, and you saw that none other than Revali was standing only steps behind you. He lowered his bow, his green eyes turning towards you with a smirk on his face.

"Champion Revali-" Your breath caught in your throat in a mix of embarrassment and anger. Part of you wanted to apologize to him for how you acted earlier, but another part of you was still angry at him.

"Getting in some late night practice, I see." Revali held his bow behind his back and approached you, looking out over the field to see it littered with your arrows. "You're improving, somewhat, at least." The comment, although backhanded, took you a bit by surprise. "You still need quite a bit of work, though."

You bit your lip, looking from him, back to the target, then back to him. "I'm sorry," You said rather quietly, though his eyes turning to you told you that he heard. "I shouldn't have exploded at you earlier."

Revali didn't speak, but he acknowledged you with a small nod. He turned, facing the target, no longer looking at you. You turned as well, eyes scanning off into the distance to try to see what exactly he was looking at.

"You're the swordsman that gave my best warrior a run for his money, aren't you?" Revali eventually said, and your ears perked up. He still didn't look at you, but you could see his smirk starting to return. "You're a capable swordswoman, at least. Though I thought you'd have been a more well-rounded fighter than this."

"We all have our faults, Champion," You crossed your arms. "I'm sure you have a few of your own, as well."

"Is that what you think?" He turned to you, his eyebrow cocked and his smile growing. He began circling around you until he stood on your other side, eyeing you up and down. "I guarantee you, you'll never find anyone quite as talented as myself. Though if you wish to improve yourself, why don't we go ahead and continue your training from before, shall we?"

Your breath caught in your throat. You weren't quite sure how to respond to him, but you gave him a smile back and nodded. Reaching for your quiver again, Revali swatted your hand away with his own. It didn't hurt, as his feathers made him quite plush, but the action annoyed you still.

"Why don't you start by cleaning up the mess you made already?" He suggested, and you turned back to the field that was littered with your arrows.

Biting your tongue, you did as he said. You scooped up the arrows out of the grass, finding almost all of the ones that hadn't ended up flying into the tall grass farther down the hill. Approaching the target, you easily plucked your arrow from the wood, a small smile on your lips from your accomplishment. You then wrapped your fingers around the arrow Revali had fired, and when you attempted to remove it, it didn't budge. Curiously, you pulled again, and you realized just how stuck in there it was. You ended up having to grab the arrow with both hands, placing your foot on the target, and pulling with all your might to unlodge the arrow. When you turned to walk back to Revali, he seemed smugger than he had before.

"Ready?" Revali asked when you limped back to him. You readied yourself, turning your body and lifting your bow, drawing back and focusing hard. You were waiting for him to give you the signal to fire when you heard Revali click his tongue at you. "This certainly won't do. Your form is atrocious." You looked at him with large eyes, your brow knitted together. You were trying so hard... "Here, move, let me help."

Suddenly, Revali's hands were on you, moving your body to where he wanted to go. He stepped around to your back and grabbed your shoulders, pulling them back and making you stand up straighter. He lifted your arm that held the bow and lowered the one that had knocked the arrow. He grabbed both of your hips, turning your body to the side instead of facing the target directly.

"Move your feet," Revali ordered, and you took a shaky step to match how he turned your hips. "Your head is tilted as well, keep your head up." He placed his wing on the back of your head, and you felt him lift it. "Open your eyes." You hadn't realized until he said something that you had kept one eye closed while you aimed. He was helping you become more aware of your body, though at the moment you were more focused on how his hand was still on your head.

Finally letting you go, Revali stepped back around to the front of you, looking over you in approval. "Better," He stated, and then grabbed his own bow. "Watch me, and copy what I do." He took an arrow and drew it far back, holding it there as you studied him closely. "You're going to want to focus closely on your target. No distractions. Keep your shoulders back and your breathing steady." He motioned for you to look back at the target and you tore your eyes from him. Instinctively, you closed one eye to focus, but you quickly opened it again after remembering Revali's instructions.

"Focus on your target, keep your arm steady... Now, fire." You both let your arrows fly at the same time, and they both hit. Yours was much closer to the bullseye now. You grinned up to Revali, and in return he placed his wing on his hip, smiling down at you at what you could only assume was approval.

"That was... Decent." He said, and you wrinkled your nose at him, not letting his words get to you. "Why don't we give that another try, shall we?"

**Author's Note:**

> If you like my work, find me on twitter @KrisPS675 or on Tumblr @River675  
> ❤❤❤


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